The Osceola times., 1887-07-16
MYSTERIES OF THE SEA.
The Story of the Ancient Mariner
Outdone.
Experiences of a Sailor Between San Fran
cisco and the Sandwich Isiands-A
Schooner Under Full Sail With
out u soul on Board.

The sea is of itself a mystery, but
the mysteries of the sea are many and
deep and are added to each month. A
ships boat. from which the name had
been carefully oblitcrated, and which
holds the emaciated bodies of two men
who have starved to death, is picked
up in the Pacific to-day; tomorrow a
Cunarder crossing the Atlantic reports
seeing sailing ship bottom up; next
day derelict schooner sails
herself into some port in the Caribbean
Sea, and nothing can be learned of the
crew who manned her. And it may be
that on the next some great steamer
leaves port on her voyage to Europe
and is never to be heard of more. As
an old sailor, have had the luck to
encounter some of these strange things
and | will relate the incidents without
eXaggeration.
In the year 1861 was mate of brig
called the Henry and William, sailing
between San Francisco and the Sand
wich Islands She was small, snug
vessel, fast sailer, and the Captain
was William Lansing. He and his
brother Henry were the owners, and
the brig was named after them. just
at daylight one June morning, in the
wear ! have mentioned, while we were
three hundred miles from the islands. a
schooner was sighted dead ahead. We
had u fair breeze over the starboard
quarter, and the schooner had all sail
set, and was making good progress.
Sails were not an unusual sight on that
route, and we gave the stranger little
attention until we found that we were
overhauling her. She was exactly on
the true course to the islands, and we
were therefore in her wake. She was
hull down when we first discovered her,
but by the time we had washed down
and breakfast had been served she was
not over two miles ahead. There were
some smart schooners flying in that
trade, and the fact of our outsailing
this one so handsomely put us all in
good spirits. We were humming along
after her at nine or ten knots an hour.
when she suddenly came up into the
wind in the most lubberly fashion,
shivercd there for n moment, and then
broachcd to and was driven off before
the wind sideways. 1t was lucky for
her that the breeze was no stronger,
for the schooner was light and the
movement would have brought dis
astcr.
As soon ms | saw the schooner in
trouble seized the glass and ran half
way up the foreshrouds, and it wasn't
n minute before made the discovery
that her decks were entirely clear of
men. At this hour of the morning
both watches should have been on
deck, but not q sailor was visible. This
was an unheard-of occurrence, but, as
she had no signal of distress flying,
and stood too high in the water to have
been abandoned for a leaking vessel, |
could hardly credit my vision. looked
again and again, examining every foot
of her decks, but it was a plain fact
that not a living person was in sight l
reported the matter to the captain, and
by that time we were so close aboard
that all our crew could note the condi-
ton of things with the naked eye. Our
ships bell was rung, and the men
shouted in chorus, but nothing came of
it. Ii was then determined TO board
her, and, as the brig was laid to, went
of with three men in the yawl and
was soon at the strangers side. | was
burning with curiosity at the start. but
the nearer we approached the stranger
the more curiosity gave way to awe and
fear. There had been some terrible
work aboard of her, or she would not
be in that condition. Had malignant
fever taken of the last of the crew or
was it mutiny and its CHASTITY conse-
qnencese l waited long minute after
hooking on to her forechains to listen
for some sound aboard. but the still
ness of death rcigned from bowsprit to
companion-way. Tnodded to one OF
the men to come along, and next mo-
ment was over her bows.
had expected to meet with some
shocking sight, but was disappointed.
The decks were free and passably clear
OF rattle. Some of the coils had fallen
OFF their Delaying pins. and ] could see
at a glance that the decks had not been
washed for several days. but aside from
this could detect nothing out Of the
way The scatsls ras drawn cyes ~